Pune: To tackle the problem of fire and pollution during Diwali, officials of the fire department have issued awareness pamphlets to firecracker traders and people, so that people take adequate precaution while bursting crackers during the festival.
As per the fire department, the number of incidents of fire in the city during Diwali increased from 6 in 2004, 11 in 2005, to 50 in 2015. Firefighters have to be on their toes during Diwali, as they have to answer all such fire-related calls with immediate response. Fire officials said that for the past few years, there have been around 30 fire incidents caused due to firecrackers.
"Incidents of fire are reported in homes, shops, vehicles, garbage dumps, trees and other places. Use of crackers like bottle rockets, anaar, fountain and flower pots cause fires in homes of people and also on trees," an official of the fire department said.
Speaking on the issue, Chief Fire Officer (CFO) KB Gawde of PCMC said that people should celebrate the festival, but also take the environment and personal safety into consideration.
"Keeping this in mind, we have released a pamphlet with 22 do's and don'ts. The pamphlets were given to all firecracker sellers and we have asked them to distribute the same to people. We are also planning to distribute similar awareness leaflets to people," added Gawde.
In 2015, four persons suffered burn injuries after a firecracker stall caught fire in Bharati Vidyapeeth and two shops were completely charred in a fire at Kalate Nagar in Wakad during Diwali.
The CFO said that the government, courts and the media have frequently highlighted the issue of precautions while bursting firecrackers, but it is up to individuals to implement the same. "Safety should be a priority while bursting firecrackers," added Gawde.
Do's and Don'ts
1. Burst crackers in an open ground and not congested places.
2. Children should be accompanied by adults while bursting crackers.
3. Do not store firecrackers in large quantity.
4. Call firefighters, ambulance and police immediately in case of fire incidents.
5. Keep flammable material away from firecrackers.
6. Do not burst crackers near hospitals, old age home.
